# Letter from JRR Tolkien on Pipe Weed/LOTR Pipes



## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

I came across this letter exchange online recently. Unfortunately, I was only able to find a single page with the following letters with no additional information as to the origin/provenance of the correspondence, but I thought some of my fellow Puff Tolkien fans might be interested.

Dear J.R.R.

I am a pipe smoker too.

But after reading "The Lords Of The Rings" I was questioned about tobacco smoked by in Middle-earth.

All information you give in your prologue is quite poor and covered with mysteries.

Can you please give more info on taste of most popular tobaccos (like Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby and Southern Star)? Were these brands of pipe-weed flavoured or not? What kind of tobacco it was?

I also have a question on the material of pipes and their shapes (Talking about pipes of Meriadoc, Bilbo, Gandalf, Gimli and Aragorn). It is only said that they are wooden. What kind of wood it was? And what shapes did these pipes have?

With all respect,

Valentine Erofeev.

And here is the response:

Dear M. Erofeev,

I hope not to offend you by answering the following. I think that the prologue says enough about Hobbits and their art of pipe-smoking. I do know people want more - but I think that covering the story in mysteries is a good thing, if not a necessery one. It also helps to replicate real history.

Regarding the taste, I'm inclined to answer that I do not know myself. The hobbit leaves surely made for very good flavoured pipe-weed (I would not say brand, as there's no question about commercial products here) but I've not given much thought to that until now - or if I did, my old memory is failling me somewhat. However, I do imagine that most pipes were primarily simple in design. Their shape would look similar to the the large half bent Billiard or Dublin shapes, but often much more long-stemmed.

Regarding the material, I think that Hobbits, if they could not grow suitable briar in the hills, would use hardwood like beech or oak - or perhaps even a type of wood I do not know about. These are details that, when writing, do not come to mind and that must be thought out later, if at all. I must admit I'm always hard put to give out so many of them, and in the end I often favour giving only a partial answer, lest the flavour of authenticity I try to give the story completely disappears. Indeed, I see my job primarily as that of a translator, not an encyclopedist!

My sincere greetings to a fellow pipe smoker,
J.R.R.T.

I would love to know more about this letter if any of you have any additional information. Of course, I can't be sure it is real, but based on the other letters from Tolkien I've read it certainly seems to be in his style.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

That's cool


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## Z.Kramer (Jul 2, 2009)

That is really cool. I really like Tolkein's answer to the question. One of the things I have always loved about his books is how I find myself remember parts of Middle-Earth history as if it were real.


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## bobpatt (Apr 27, 2010)

I've read the Hobbitt trilogy twice in my life and saw the movies. This was all before taking up the glories of pipe smoking. I can now see that I'll have to read them again, this time paying attention to the pipe lore of middle earth.


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## xl4life (Feb 16, 2010)

I'm confused is/was this letter some kinda humor? I missing something? or is this like a Trekkie - er Tolkkie thing?


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Cool! I like the way he handled that, and how he views the story.

I've actually been watching the LOTR movies this week on a gigantic projector screen on blu-ray while I cat sit for my friend a few hours each night. He's got a sweet setup. The screen is like 8 or 10 feet wide, it's like being at the movies.


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## mrsmitty (Jan 22, 2009)

Great post. Looks like I will be reading LOTR after I'm done with my Mark Twain book.


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## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

xl4life said:


> I'm confused is.............. is this like a Trekkie - er Tolkkie thing?


Yep.

I have read and re-read The Hobbit and the L.O.T.R. series many times in my life, (although I am not a "Trekkie/ Tolkie) 
and I too believe that this writing does ring true with His style of writing.

*How Fun!*

Thank you so very much for sharing it:thumb: 

:clap2:


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Tolkie...I love it!

On the other hand, I've read all four books countless times. Never got into _The Silmarillion,_ and have managed to read very little other fantasy, enjoyed less. But my place wouldn't be furnished without those books.


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## rlaliberty (Jul 6, 2008)

Awesome. Just finished Children of Hurin and went back to the ROTK appendices. Now I'm onto the Silmarillion and then probably the Lost Tales stuff and whatever else I can find. I love Tolkien!


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## Jessefive (Oct 21, 2009)

If that is real it is amazing! I'm also a big Tolkien Fan (the books please, not the movies). I've read them a bunch of times, including the Silmarillion, as a kid tried to learn elvish, and I have the script from the one ring tattooed on my wrists. </dorkconfession>


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## Bermac (Feb 9, 2009)

That would be a very cool tattoo. Pic?

I remember reading about a few blends made up based on LOTR. Can't really remember where I saw it.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

Bermac said:


> That would be a very cool tattoo. Pic?
> 
> I remember reading about a few blends made up based on LOTR. Can't really remember where I saw it.


Just for Him has a line of LOTR blends:
Middle Earth Pipeweed Series : Welcome to Our Shop, Just For Him

Greg Pease has made some LOTR/Hobbit named blends in the past but they're hard to find and carry a premium price if you can find one:
G. L. Pease - Limited Editions

And of course there are the McClelland LOTR blends Grey Havens, Deep Hollow and the Frog Morton series.

By the way...thanks for all the comments. And I'd like to see that tattoo too!

PS - I'm a Trekker and a Tolkie (I guess that makes me an Okie Tolkie) but I prefer Middle Earther.


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## Bermac (Feb 9, 2009)

The Middle Earth series is the one I was thinking of. Treebeard is tempting on the name alone.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

Bermac said:


> The Middle Earth series is the one I was thinking of. Treebeard is tempting on the name alone.


I agree with you on that. I've also read quite a bit of positive feedback on Shortcut to Mushrooms. I've wondered whether they have permission from the Tolkien estate to use the names.


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## rlaliberty (Jul 6, 2008)

Jessefive said:


> If that is real it is amazing! I'm also a big Tolkien Fan (the books please, not the movies). I've read them a bunch of times, including the Silmarillion, as a kid tried to learn elvish, and I have the script from the one ring tattooed on my wrists. </dorkconfession>


I def want to see this tattoo. I've considered something similar but I already have one lit (kinda) tattoo of calvin and hobbes.

You really didn't like the films? While I agree on the theatrical versions, I thought that the extended cuts were great (with fellowship being by far the worst). I've pretty excited about del Torro doing The Hobbit too.


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

rlaliberty said:


> You really didn't like the films? While I agree on the theatrical versions, I thought that the extended cuts were great (with fellowship being by far the worst). I've pretty excited about del Torro doing The Hobbit too.


I'm a fan of both the films and the books. Tolkien scholar Tom Shippley has written an excellent paper that analyzes the movies vs. the books, Tolkien's approach to the material vs. Jackson's, and how all of this was affected by the differences in the two mediums. Lovers and haters of the films would probably find it interesting. The paper is in Shippley's book Root & Branches: Selected Papers on Tolkien if anyone wants to check it out.

Amazon.com: Roots and Branches: Selected Papers on Tolkien (9783905703054): Tom Shippey: Books

You can probably find it through Inter Library Loan or at a major college library.


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## Jessefive (Oct 21, 2009)

That book sounds interesting. I despise Jackson after those movies, but I'm a super nerd fan and was picking them apart. Plus I don't particularly like his over-dramatized style. But that is perhaps a discussion to be had over a pipe, not over the internet.

This is about 10 years old now, but the lines are still holding up nicely:


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## Bermac (Feb 9, 2009)

Nice. I was expecting it to be wraped around one wrist.


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## jeromy (Oct 16, 2008)

Jessefive said:


> That book sounds interesting. I despise Jackson after those movies, but I'm a super nerd fan and was picking them apart. Plus I don't particularly like his over-dramatized style. But that is perhaps a discussion to be had over a pipe, not over the internet.
> 
> This is about 10 years old now, but the lines are still holding up nicely:


pretty cool! i have been wanting to do a a band around one of my wrist like that or maybe the bottom of my leg. Just have not been able to pull the trigger.


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## The Count Revan (May 30, 2010)

Forum newbie here, but long time tattoo enthusiast and collector. Let me just say that you should consider your work environment(s) before you consider any tattoo that is on your forearms/wrist areas. Some employers frown upon body art of _any_ style where it is that visible to potential customers/clients.

If/When in doubt, get it somewhere where it can be comfortably covered up with everyday clothing. Your experiences may very, but I have found this to be true in most circumstances


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## Jessefive (Oct 21, 2009)

I thought about doing a band on one wrist, but decided to go the unconventional route. Though now I only have the first half of the inscription, ha ha!


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## Bermac (Feb 9, 2009)

Still it looks pretty cool. I had a few ideas for a tattoo but could never settle on one. Location is pretty important, I deal alot with the public so hands, face and neck are out.


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## Twiggz (Feb 15, 2009)

Bermac said:


> The Middle Earth series is the one I was thinking of. Treebeard is tempting on the name alone.


Short cut to mushrooms is the weed that got me hooked on the pipe. I still have over 8oz of it sealed in a glass jar.

Treebeard sadly lacks in flavor, but the room note must be amazing. Every time I lit a bowl, someone commented on how good it smells. I haven't smoked another tobacco that got so many comments from my friends.

Derailing toward the Tattoo topic. Has anyone considered a UV tattoo? I have one. It seemed like a good idea back when I was traveling for work, as a lot of the clubs and bars in asia have a ton of black lights. Now that I dont travel, I never see my tattoo haha. 
Because of work, my other tattoos are hidden by a tee shirt.


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